Kitteh Reflections
As some of you may be aware, I recently launched into a mission to adopt a cat.
Okay, okay. I admit it. I am a dog person. For many years I have been claiming - outwardly if not always inwardly - that I love both equally. And I do enjoy cats. Really like them. But make no mistake. There are cat people, and there are dog people. One can have both and love them all, but deep down, you are ultimately one or the other. Anyone who says otherwise is either lying, or benignly delusional.
And I am a dog person. When it comes down to it, cat walks into the room, and I reach to pet it and smile. Dog walks in the room, my entire being lights up in excitement. Dogs turn my head on the street, not boys. I learn people's dogs names faster than I learn theirs. If I had a tail, I would wag it. A lot. Dogs just make my soul shine. Make me smile through tears.
Unfortunately, beloved as they are, it would take a pretty special pup to suit my current lifestyle. I live alone, work full-time, go out during evenings, and value my social freedom. I also would feel perpetually TERRIBLE and guilty and horrible subjecting a dog my tiny little apartment, and leaving him/her alone many hours a day. It's good enough for fostering, but not the sort of home I want to be able to provide for an energetic, bursting-with-love pup. Oh and I also enjoy sleeping in. Goodbye to that in that scenario. No thank you.
Cats, on the other hand, for the most part, don't seem to mind being left alone for hours at a time. They're adept at amusing themselves. They can enjoy smaller spaces. They pee inside in a box. They sit on your chest and pur. They're small enough to curl comfortably in your lap while you read or write. (I am not a fan of small dogs generally. There are exceptions, but medium to large is my personal preference. Corgis count as medium-sized; they're just short :-) ).
And I like cats a lot. I'm trying to think back to some of my favorites I've taken care of in the past. Ursula -- the gigantic Maine Coone with the chirpy meow. The little black male kitten who climbed up my leg to the counter, whose name escapes me at the moment. Suzie, Lindsay and Dan's eyeless wonder who is somehow incredibly cute regardless. Dixon, fauxjocie2 's sweetheart, best cat on the planet, god rest her. Sammie, Michelle Wilson's CUUUUUTEST cat that I very nearly stole away because she was so precious and sweet. Still...I have a hard time thinking of one who made me laugh, comforted me, or warmed me quite so much as the many dogs who rush into my head and immediately make my heart melt -- Izzy (/Callie), Deeoji, Bella, Bryn, Freddie, and so on. So I have some doubts in my heart, but in the end, I think this is what I want. If nothing else, I'm tired of coming home to an empty apartment, and of sleeping alone. A purr machine to snuggle in bed with me and taunt with laser pointers sounds like just the thing. (For proof of this, I refer you to Dar!)
What *actually* inspired this post was a desire to really write down everything I want in a cat, beyond just the taglines to give to the shelters. We'll start with the basics.
Requirements
Shorthair
Young adult (NOT a kitten, or too old)
Comfortable being left alone for significat stretches
Preferences
Female
Calico, Tortie, or white-and-grey (God help my furniture)
Good with dogs and/or other cats
Adapts reasonably well to change
Total love-bug (cuddles, snuggles, pets)
And now the juicy stuff:
Greets me enthusiastically when I come home.
Talkative in a cute way.
Sits in my lap when I read or watch TV.
Interacts with my friends.
Sits and observes while I cook
Curious; exploritory
Playful
Spontaneously darts across the house and/or does random stupid stuff that makes me laugh.
Looks at me with actual presence, as opposed to just an "hey...why did the petting stop?"
Fascinated by shiny objects.
Comes and chirps at me and crawls into my lap when I'm sad or crying.
Sleeps in on Sunday morning with me. (Allowances can be made to be gently woken up for feeding time)
Yeah. I think that's a decent start. It's really difficult to walk into a shelter and just SEE that though. Find it, know it. So many rescued pets aren't truly themselves in the shelter. I nearly impulsively adopted one from WARL last week who was so pretty and sweet, but also so fragile and shy. She totally wouldn't have been alright in the house on her own, and I had to strongly resist the urge to save her.
The more I write the more I laugh at how similar this is to looking for a lover. Perhaps there's some learning opportunities here. And perhaps, true to cliche, "the one" won't fit a lot of things on my list at all...but they'll just be the one. I'm not perfect and they're not perfect, but we're perfect for each other.
I'm sorry, were we talking about cats or boyfriends? I forget. :-P
Anyway, I'll leave it there. Your comments are welcome, especially those other young single women with one cat. Tell me what it's like?
Until next time...Prrrrp!
Okay, okay. I admit it. I am a dog person. For many years I have been claiming - outwardly if not always inwardly - that I love both equally. And I do enjoy cats. Really like them. But make no mistake. There are cat people, and there are dog people. One can have both and love them all, but deep down, you are ultimately one or the other. Anyone who says otherwise is either lying, or benignly delusional.
And I am a dog person. When it comes down to it, cat walks into the room, and I reach to pet it and smile. Dog walks in the room, my entire being lights up in excitement. Dogs turn my head on the street, not boys. I learn people's dogs names faster than I learn theirs. If I had a tail, I would wag it. A lot. Dogs just make my soul shine. Make me smile through tears.
Unfortunately, beloved as they are, it would take a pretty special pup to suit my current lifestyle. I live alone, work full-time, go out during evenings, and value my social freedom. I also would feel perpetually TERRIBLE and guilty and horrible subjecting a dog my tiny little apartment, and leaving him/her alone many hours a day. It's good enough for fostering, but not the sort of home I want to be able to provide for an energetic, bursting-with-love pup. Oh and I also enjoy sleeping in. Goodbye to that in that scenario. No thank you.
Cats, on the other hand, for the most part, don't seem to mind being left alone for hours at a time. They're adept at amusing themselves. They can enjoy smaller spaces. They pee inside in a box. They sit on your chest and pur. They're small enough to curl comfortably in your lap while you read or write. (I am not a fan of small dogs generally. There are exceptions, but medium to large is my personal preference. Corgis count as medium-sized; they're just short :-) ).
And I like cats a lot. I'm trying to think back to some of my favorites I've taken care of in the past. Ursula -- the gigantic Maine Coone with the chirpy meow. The little black male kitten who climbed up my leg to the counter, whose name escapes me at the moment. Suzie, Lindsay and Dan's eyeless wonder who is somehow incredibly cute regardless. Dixon, fauxjocie2 's sweetheart, best cat on the planet, god rest her. Sammie, Michelle Wilson's CUUUUUTEST cat that I very nearly stole away because she was so precious and sweet. Still...I have a hard time thinking of one who made me laugh, comforted me, or warmed me quite so much as the many dogs who rush into my head and immediately make my heart melt -- Izzy (/Callie), Deeoji, Bella, Bryn, Freddie, and so on. So I have some doubts in my heart, but in the end, I think this is what I want. If nothing else, I'm tired of coming home to an empty apartment, and of sleeping alone. A purr machine to snuggle in bed with me and taunt with laser pointers sounds like just the thing. (For proof of this, I refer you to Dar!)
What *actually* inspired this post was a desire to really write down everything I want in a cat, beyond just the taglines to give to the shelters. We'll start with the basics.
Requirements
Shorthair
Young adult (NOT a kitten, or too old)
Comfortable being left alone for significat stretches
Preferences
Female
Calico, Tortie, or white-and-grey (God help my furniture)
Good with dogs and/or other cats
Adapts reasonably well to change
Total love-bug (cuddles, snuggles, pets)
And now the juicy stuff:
Greets me enthusiastically when I come home.
Talkative in a cute way.
Sits in my lap when I read or watch TV.
Interacts with my friends.
Sits and observes while I cook
Curious; exploritory
Playful
Spontaneously darts across the house and/or does random stupid stuff that makes me laugh.
Looks at me with actual presence, as opposed to just an "hey...why did the petting stop?"
Fascinated by shiny objects.
Comes and chirps at me and crawls into my lap when I'm sad or crying.
Sleeps in on Sunday morning with me. (Allowances can be made to be gently woken up for feeding time)
Yeah. I think that's a decent start. It's really difficult to walk into a shelter and just SEE that though. Find it, know it. So many rescued pets aren't truly themselves in the shelter. I nearly impulsively adopted one from WARL last week who was so pretty and sweet, but also so fragile and shy. She totally wouldn't have been alright in the house on her own, and I had to strongly resist the urge to save her.
The more I write the more I laugh at how similar this is to looking for a lover. Perhaps there's some learning opportunities here. And perhaps, true to cliche, "the one" won't fit a lot of things on my list at all...but they'll just be the one. I'm not perfect and they're not perfect, but we're perfect for each other.
I'm sorry, were we talking about cats or boyfriends? I forget. :-P
Anyway, I'll leave it there. Your comments are welcome, especially those other young single women with one cat. Tell me what it's like?
Until next time...Prrrrp!